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Smirk of the Union

By Rick Perlstein, TomPaine.com. Posted January 29, 2008.


A small and beaten man spoke to Congress and the nation last night, convinced in his own mind he's a hero.

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A small and beaten man spoke to Congress and the nation last night, convinced in his own mind he's a hero. Snoopy battling the Red Baron. Walter Mitty, imagining himself dying bravely before a firing squad.

For those who missed it, here's the Big Con run-down. Let me start with the facial expressions. Because, more than any of the words, they told the sad story.

The entrance: He raises both eyebrows puckishly, like the frat boy he is. Introduced by Speaker Pelosi, he reacts curiously to the wave of applause: he blushes. He actually thinks this applause is for him--they love me!!--and not a perfunctory gesture of respect for the office. He still thinks he is a great man, and that others think he is a great man. He looks about a thousand years old. He begins: "Seven years have passed since I first stood before you at this rostrum." Or that's what the transcript says he said. If you missed it live, what he actually said was, "...stood before yuh at this rostr'm...."

John Wayne taking on the desperadoes.

Then, the arrogant bastard, he makes a joke: "These issues"--he's named "peace and war, rising competition in the world economy, and the health and welfare of our citizens"--"deserve vigorous debate. And I think history will show we've answered the call." He gives the chamber that famous smirk, to let them know it's OK to laugh, even amid all the pomp: get it? These people keep insisting on debatin' with me. Washington! Bicker, bicker, bicker.

Then, he obliquely announces the speech's theme, also with a smirk: Bush's greatest hits. A golden trip down memory lane. He says, of public servants' job to "carry out the people's business," that "it remains our charge to keep." Dog whistle: this is the Methodist hymn that by which entitled his campaign book. Because remember: George Bush is a Christian Unleashing the "armies of compassion." Or it it this "army of compassion"?

Which brings up one of the creepiest features of the speech: "more than 2,600 of the poorest children in our Nation's Capital have found new hope at a faith-based or other non-public school. Sadly, these schools are disappearing at an alarming rate in many of America's inner cities." I didn't know--and perhaps the Constitution has something to say on this--it was the job of the U.S. government to fret over the disappearance of "faith-based" institutions. Well, our president now proposes we shore them up with "Pell Grants for Kids." Senator Clayborn Pell, a great man, now unfortunately suffers from Parkinson's disease, and probably lacks the wherewithal to slap the president in the face for the insult to his great progressive legacy.

I suppose we should also attend to the words, because this pathetic washout happens to be the most powerful man in the world, so the words he uses are important.

He repeated the Great Republican Lie of 2007, implying that the Democrats in the 110th Congress is obstructionist--"Let us show them that Republicans and Democrats can compete for votes and cooperate for results at the same time," he piously intoned.--when it's really himself and the Republican minority who are willfully obstructing, with an aggressiveness unmatched in modern history. He still trumpets his own disastrous Ownership Society rhetoric (How disastrous? See here) and barely acknowledges the massive economic pain Americans are feeling and our about to feel -- and only then to issue one more obstructionist threat, on the stimulus package: "The temptation will be to load up the bill. That would delay it or derail it." Mafia words: my way, or else.


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View:
The face that launched a 1000 rages
Posted by: arieden on Jan 29, 2008 11:59 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
That smirk! It drives me crazy!
I'm always astounded by the fact that while he's shovelling this stuff at us he doesn't even try (or maybe he can't) to make his facial expressions match his words.
Is there a psychological problem here?
After 30 seconds I have to change the channel.

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» REALLY?!! Posted by: ~Fiona~
» 30 seconds??? Posted by: Moira61
Bill Maher is Right
Posted by: NoPCZone on Jan 29, 2008 12:05 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Dubya will go down in history as the worst President ever.
Ever.

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The man is "Petrid"...
Posted by: ~Fiona~ on Jan 29, 2008 12:07 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
...And I cannot wait until the universe Recycles him in a form most suited to rebuild all the distruction he has brought about as a result of his arrogance.

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» RE: The man is "Petrid" (sic Putrid)... Posted by: LeftCoastProgressive
» RE: The man is "Petrid"... Posted by: lib3288
Not defeated yet
Posted by: SteveO on Jan 29, 2008 12:09 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Unfortunately so long as Nancy the capitulator is speaker of the house he wins.

BTW, I also would like to slap that frat-boy smirk off of his face.

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Joke revisited
Posted by: Quasar on Jan 29, 2008 12:10 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I am reminded in the most painful way of a joke every time I hear him speak:

What did the sadist say to the masochist who pleaded with the sadist to kick him in the head repeatedly?

No.

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North American Summit between US, Mexico, and Canada in New Orleans this year?
Posted by: Thetorganization on Jan 29, 2008 12:20 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Did anyone else hear this during last night's speech? I heard that from the State of the Union...and from what I can tell, it looks a bit fishy

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» Might as well be Posted by: fifthworld
» RE: He's the shit, all right. Posted by: Longdream
small and beaten
Posted by: jareilly on Jan 29, 2008 12:28 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
"Small"? Yes. "Beaten"? No. Not at all. His cronies have been rewarded billions in no-bid contracts, the rich have received three giant tax breaks (and immediately put the money in offshore, cheap labor investments), the government has ceased to exist as an actual provider of needed services, vast political and legal powers have been arrogated to the executive, the judiciary is stacked with proto-fascists like Samuel Alito, the legislature cowers like a whipped dog and is about as relevant, an international, extra-legal, unaccountable "security" apparatus kidnaps, tortures and detains indefinitely and anybody in the world including US citizens can be called and "unlawful enemy combatant" and made to disappear at Bush/Cheney's whim with no recourse.

No, Bush is not beaten. We are.

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The man is
Posted by: A.V. on Jan 29, 2008 12:50 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
sick...sick...sick

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Drawl mockery
Posted by: sweet_byrd on Jan 29, 2008 1:32 PM   
Current rating: 1    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Memo to the author:

Making fun of someone's accent isn't just cheap and tawdry, it makes you look bigoted as well. Sure, maybe W puts it on, or exaggerates it for effect, but having lived in Texas, I can tell you that there are people with that (un-exaggerated, un-put on) accent out there, and by mocking that accent you are doing nothing but alienating them while showing yourself to be a colossal boob. Moreover, your cheap shots detract from the useful points that you do make. Do yourself a favor and knock it off.

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» I know real Texans Posted by: fifthworld
» Faux macho Posted by: Quasar
» It's called "Short Man Syndrome" Posted by: sasquuatch55
» RE: Drawl mockery Posted by: onevoter
» RE: Drawl mockery Posted by: deaudonnee
» RE: Drawl mockery Posted by: Nineetsa
Why the silence?
Posted by: mnolte on Jan 29, 2008 2:45 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Wasn't there one member of the audience. Kucinich maybe who could have just begun a rant for the cameras?

LIAR! LIAR!!!
SOmething.. I respect the sanctity of our institutions, but this guy needed some heckling.

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» RE: Why the silence? Posted by: meldada
Even more infuriating than Bush
Posted by: Ellie1 on Jan 29, 2008 3:00 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
were the clapping seals in the audience. I am so ashamed and angry to be an American.

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Correcting Michael Bakunin
Posted by: RedAaron on Jan 29, 2008 4:08 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Bakunin said something like Every Politician Has Earned His Death Sentence 1,000 times over. I prefer to fine tune that. Dennis Kucinich might get off with 100 lashes and 100 years of community service for, among other things, his vote against Mumia. For Bush's enablers like Nancy Pelosi, 100 executions each might be adequate justice. But for The Piece of Shit Who Occupies the White House and his principal partners and guides, 1,000,000 executions each would be too merciful!

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Terrorist
Posted by: HeKnew on Jan 29, 2008 5:54 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Small and beaten? That's the biggest lie of all.

The coup is over and we lost.

Under the current system, not a single participant in the Bush conspiracy is going to be punished and the same pattern of lawlessness is going to happen over and over and over again.

A Vote of Confidence Amendment will enable the American voting public to dismiss and hold over for criminal prosecution any elected official who fails in their obligation to serve the people of the United States.

VOCA, now

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» how do we... Posted by: undrgrndgirl
Still going strong!
Posted by: carbon-based on Jan 29, 2008 6:23 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Small and Beaten Man??.. nothing could be further from the truth. More than any other President, Bush has continued to impose his will and act like a President, not a lame duck. With a democratic congress Bush still controls the government. Even Clinton couldn't pull that one off.

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Inaccurate title
Posted by: TRC on Jan 29, 2008 7:01 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
"a small and beaten man"? Are you kidding? Bush (actually Cheney) with the indispensible help of the self-serving, greedy media, has gotten just about everything he went after. Every tax break and privledge for the rich. Every mutilation of the constitution. Every war funding boondoggle.
Now in keeping with disaster capitalism economics, they will take advantage of the stock market fall to pass more corporate welfare goodies. Main stream Democrats (politicians and confused party faithful)let it happen. They are Fox, CNN, and NPR stupid. They are enablers and therefore part of the problem.
The author of this piece does not get it. His wishful thinking criticism falls short and does nothing positive in the overall scheme of things. Cheney/Bush illegitimacy needs to be challeged through the impeachment process.
To do less, in my opinion, is unpatriotic.

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The smirk is his way of
Posted by: drfun on Jan 29, 2008 8:20 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
letting everyone know he has gotten away with alcohol & cocaine abuse, being AWOL, insider trading, and murder, with no recourse for the victimized.
His legacy will be an everlasting stain on the U.S., and his actions have caused irreparable damage both home and abroad.
I just hope there is enough absolutions, time, and resources left to undo the damage his administration has wrought.

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Terrorist
Posted by: HeKnew on Jan 29, 2008 8:59 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Try 'em & Fry 'em

It ain't over 'til WE say it's over.

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PATSIES for the FASCIST UNION -- (small & beaten & cowardly)
Posted by: LookOut on Jan 29, 2008 9:09 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
As others have said, "small and beaten" in no way describes this puppet-in-chief of a criminal ruling class that looted virtually everything his Fascist corporate monopoly parasites ordered him to steal.

"small and beaten" however, does describe a nation under the heel of corporate Fascism that many Americans mindlessly voted to power and would not take out of power after sham 9/11 cover-up and its equally phony “war on terror”.

For ye clueless ones Herr Bush repeated his vow to fight an utterly bogus CIA created and House of Saud financed “Al-Qaeda” threat 11 times. Corporate stooge Bush even mentioned a recent threat from CIA false-flag asset “Tim Osman” (alias Osama Bin Laden) who Pakistan’s Bhutto admitted had been dead for years now.

These were lies bigger than Tonkin Gulf, Operation Gladio, yellow cake and “Al-Qaeda” Saddam.

But it gets worse of course.

Dem Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius’ response was full of 2-faced support for a BushCo “war on terror” fraud and empty doubletalk about a “work together” “common good” America. What she left out was it’s all “good” for the corporate monopolists she stands for. In short, more cotton candy snake oil for the suckers.

Small wonder that even rank and file Americans are now despised world-wide for not standing up to Fascist rule that has crushed the globe to a private blood money killing field.

So, in the end – America must be “small and beaten and cowardly” for a nation of easy sheep under the rule of parasite wolves.

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Terrorist
Posted by: HeKnew on Jan 30, 2008 4:12 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Support Brattleboro, VT!

They're organizing a town petition making President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney subject to arrest for crimes against the Constitution.

http://www.brattleboro.org/

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» RE: Terrorist Posted by: sasquuatch55
The Chimp knows what he is, a Blue Blood!
Posted by: williameon on Jan 31, 2008 12:38 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
He plays charades while you suffer.
He is a sadistic little twerp!
His whole life he has gotten away with murder.
Because his father is the head of the SS.
He is a privileged spoiled rat.
He is part of the Alien Aristocracy.
A Con. Blue Blood!
What flows through his veins is arrogance, disdain, privilege and deceit.
He has accomplished everything he was sent to do, except War with Iran and that remains to be seen.
Mission Admonished!
Destroy the Republic.
Destroy the Middle Class.
Tax cuts for the Rich.
Nothing for you, except
Getting stuck with the Bill!
He is evil.
His whole family is evil.
Causing undue pain and suffering here an around the world.
Look at who pulls his strings and you will begin to see the true culprit.
He was selected, never elected.
Talk about blind justice.
These justices burned out her eyes.
A Bad President sent to deceive us.
Because the system is horribly broken.
It has been co-opted by special interests.
Very powerful wealthy economic interests.
He is the Monkey.
The Organ grinder still pulls his chain.
The same chain that enslaves us all.
A bankrupted corrupt system is all we have left.
A mockery.
A empty shell of a Republic
Eaten from the inside out by parasites.
Cor'pirates'.
The truth can finally be seen.
The many vales of illusion lifted.
Bankers lord over us getting a percentage of everything you do.
Something for nothing.
Now that's magic.

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